Thursday, February 01, 2007

Brigid's Day

Today is the first day of Imbolg and Brigid, having being welcomed in and glossed out of recognition by the celtic christian church eons ago, is the patron saint of today.

When we were kids there was the annual scramble on the way home from school to collect armfuls of rushes so that we could make Brigid's crosses the following day in school - anything to get out of lessons. Rushes usually grow in marshy, swampy land, they are a lustrous dark green when healthy and new, but they dry out to a fragile weather-beaten straw brown, once you incorporate them into a cross.

Once made, tradition has it that they were hung over the front door of a dwelling to protect the occupants. Another tradition has it that they were put into the thatch of a house to protect it from fire!

If you fancy making one yourself here are instructions I'll be making one later for my kids when I get one of them to hop over the back fence and collect some rushes from the swamp out the back.

3 comments:

I knew it was the first day of something a bit sunny...and I like those twiggy things. Wouldn't really be the same if I made them out of plastic straws would it. I did a link to you but ended up in a blind alley. Can only get to yours through another blog - usually Debi's. Wonder what I;m doing wrong.

Ficts

I am an emerging poet with six kids, one partner, an MA, a portable garret and
a large food bill. I'm also a creative writing tutor, reviewer and essayist.
And I have two collections out - did I mention that? In my spare time (what's
that?) I cook.